Looper for sewing-machines.



H. P. RICHARDS. LOOPER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed May 12. 1898.)

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 5, l90l.

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Mar. 5, I901. H. P. RICHARDS.

'LOOPER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed m 12, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Shoat 2,

(No Model.)

1 h 8 0 fnyent on' A m/W4 Witn eases .1,

No. 669,327. Patented Mar. 5, I901. H. P. RICHARDS.

LOOPER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed May12. 1898.)

3 Sheets8haet 3 (No Model.)

Wiifn asses.-

1n: NORRIS PETERS on mom-Limo" WASNINGTON. n. c.

ATES" l-IUBERT P. RICHARDS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO J.EVARTS TRACY, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

LOOPER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,327, dated March 5,1901.

Application filed May 12, 1898' Serial No 680,501. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUBERT P. RICHARDS, a

citizen of the United States, residing in New.

Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to sewing-machines, and more particularly to acombined lock-stitch and chain-stitch machine in which the stitch-makingmechanism includes a reciprocatory needle, a rotary looper,and means foractuating the needle and looper in proper timing one relatively to theother and in which the loop of the needle-thread is engaged by and iscarried around the looper to inclose a second or lower thread to form alock-stitch or in which said loop may be carried through a precedingloop to form a chainstitch; and my present invention relates 'moreparticularly to an improved looper for stitchmaking mechanisms ofmachines of this character.

Practical experiments have demonstrated that in order to secure the bestresults in stitching with a mechanism embodying a reciprocatory needleand a rotary looper having a plurality of hooks adapted for carryingsuccessive loops at the same time each preceding loop should be fullydrawn up and tightened and each succeeding loop, which is developedmostly from said preceding loop, must be fully drawn out after theneedle is withdrawn'from and before it reenters the fabric. Furthermore,it is advantageous that each preceding loop shall be fully drawn up andtightened by the hook carrying the succeeding loop before said hookbegins to draw thread from the spool to complete said succeeding loopirrespective of the kind of stitch being made. It is a wellknown factthat a much greater amount of thread is required and utilized from eachpreceding loop in making a chain-stitch than in making a lockstitch,less thread being drawn from the preceding loops and more thread fromthe spool during the travel of the looper through successivepredetermined aro'distances in developing successive chain-stitch loopsthan is the case when developing succcedinglockstitch loops. Thereforeit will be seen that when a chain-stitch is being made by a stitchmechanism of the class specified embodying a rotary looper having aplurality of hooks there is less thread remaining in a preceding and asucceeding loop to reach from their respective hooks to the fabric thanthere is when a lock-stitch is being made, owing to the difference inthe amount of thread utilized in making the different stitches, and forthis reason it has been an impossibility with stitch-making mechanismsheretofore known to make in a practical Way a chain-stitch and alock-stitch without employing a different rotary looper of specialconstruction for every kind of stitch being made or without employing alooper having two independent sets of hooksto wit, one set ofchain-stitch hooks and one set of lock-stitch hooks-so disposed that thedistances between adjacent loopholding portions of adjacent loop-hooksof the lock-stitch set will be greater than that between correspondingportions of the adjacent books of the chain-stitch set, this differencein distances being intended to compensate for the difference in lengthof thread contained in the two loops extending from the adjacent hooksto the fabric, one loop of which is being drawn up by the other loop,while the other loop is being drawn out.

One object of my invention is to furnish a stitch-making mechanismembodying a rotary looper having a set of loop-receiving devicesconstructed for movement one toward and away from another, whereby thedistance between loop-holding portions of adjacent loopreceiving devicesis varied by the movements of the devices to compensate for differencesin the amount of thread utilized in making diiferent kinds of stitchesand obviating the necessity of using two kinds of loopers or one looperhaving two differently-spaced sets of devices for the different kinds ofstitches.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a stitch-makingmechanism a rotary looper embodying a loop-taker or hook and athread-controlled yieldable loop-tensioning device for engaging the loopof the needlethread and for holding the same under tension throughout apredetermined portion of the stitch-making operation or throughout aportion of the distance traversed by said loop around the looper,whereby to obviate the injurious twisting or kinking of the bight andofthe preceding loop as said loop is being drawn up by the succeedingloop, which kinking has been due to the slack condition of the precedingloop and to the friction between the drawing side of said loop and thefabric as the same is drawn through said fabric, which friction tends torub out or unwind the twist of the fibers of the thread at a pointcontiguous to said fabric and force them backward or wind them up moretightly toward the bight of the loop, thereby causing the loop to kink.

A further object of my present invention is to provide a combined chain-stitch and lock-stitch mechanism embodying a rotary looper having aseries of peripheral loop-receiving openings, one or more of the sidewalls of which are movable, whereby the distance between loop-holdingportions of adjacent hooks is rendered variable.

A further object of my present invention is to provide in astitch-makingmechanism a rotary looper. having one or more peripheral loop-receivingrecesses, one wall of each of which terminates in a loop-taker, and alooptensioning device disposed between the looptakerand inner wallof therecess and adapted for receiving the loop from the loop-taker at apredetermined point in the orbital movement of said loop-taker and forholding the same under tension throughout a predetermined portion of themovement of said loop around said looper.

A further and one of the primary objects of the present invention is toprovide in a stitch-forming mechanism a rotary looper having one or moreperipheral loop-receiving recesses, one wall of which terminates in aloop-taker, and a device disposed between the loop-taker and the innerwall of said recess and effective to restrain during a predeterminedperiod the passage of a loop beyond a certain position or angle andcoact with that part of the wall of said recess intermediate said deviceand the loop-taker to regulate the tension of the loop during the finalclosing up of a stitch, and thereby render uniform the closing up ofsuccessive stitches.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation, partially in section, of one form ofsewing-machine embodying my present improvements, certain elements notpertaining to the presentinvention beingomitted. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the sewing-machine as seen from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sideView of the looper detached and on a large scale as seen from the leftin Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a front edge view of the looper as seen from theright in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View of said looper, takenon the dotted line a a, Fig. 3, showing that port-ion of the looper atthe right of said line. Fig. 6 is a side view similar to Fig. 3, on anexaggerated scale, of a portion of the looper shown in Fig. 3. Fig.

7 is a cross-section taken on the dotted line b b, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is aview similar to Fig. 6 of a portion of a slightly-modified form oflooper. Fig. 9 is an inner end view of one loop-tension device and itscarrier detached from the looper. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view ofsaid loop-tension device and carrier, taken on the line 0 c, Fig. 9,looking toward the left in said figure. Figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14 areside views, partially in section, of a portion of the stitch-makingmechanism detached, illustrating, respectively, four successivepositions of the needle, loop-receiving devices, and oneloop during theformation of a stitch and after the loop has been engaged by theloop-tensioning device, said figu res indicating how each loop is placedunder tension to secure uniformity in the closing of the stitches andalso how such loop is held under tension and the slack thereof taken upafter said loop has arrived at the position where it has fullydrawn up apreceding loop and during a portion of its further travelaround alooper; and Figs. 15 and 16 are views similar to Fig. let of a portionof the stitch-making mechanism, showing the looper, needle, and loops incorresponding positions, respectively, and indicating comparatively thedifference in positions of the loopcarrying portions of and thedifference in distance between the adjacent loop'receiving devices ofthe looper during the formation of a chain-stitch and a lock-stitch.

Similar characters designates like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

For convenience my present improvementsto wit, the looper mechanism as awhole or the looper and driver alone, which are applicable tosewing-machines of various types-are shown embodied in a sewing-machinewhich is in a general way similar to the machine described in LettersPatent of the United States No. 574,573, granted to Francis H. RichardsJanuary 5, 1897, to which reference maybe had for a more completeunderstanding of the construction, organization, and operation ofcertain elements not described in detail herein.

The sewing-machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises inpart a framework or sewing-machine head, (designated in a general way byF,) which may be of any suitable construction for carrying the severalparts; a vertically-reciprocatory needle-bar N, carrying a needle N; aneedlebar-actuatiug shaft D, journaled in suitable hearings in the frameand having a crankand-link connection with the needle-bar; a

rotary looper S, supported below and preferably at an inclination to thepath of the needle-bar and having a set of loop-carriers, eachcomprising a pair .of loop-receiving devices, preferably including aloop-taker and a loopdeliverer; a looper-guide G, supported by bracketG,on the frame and e itendingaround the lower portion of the looper; alooper-supporting driver H; a horizontally disposed driver-actuatingshaft D; an intermediate shaft D a one-to-one train of gears E,connecting the intermediate shaft D and the needle-bar-actuating shaftD; a two-to-three train of gears E, connecting the shaft D anddriver-actuating shaft D; feed mechanism including a feed-lever 51,having a feed dog at the working end thereof and supported for universalmovement, and a feed-lever-actuating cam 54, fixed to the intermediateshaft D and adapted for actuating said feed-lever; a stitch-changingdevice (designated in a general way by WV) shiftable into operativerelation with the looper and adapted for deflecting preceding loopslaterally of the path of the needle in such manner that the succeedingloops of the needle-thread will be carried by the looper throughpreceding loops to form achain-stitch, and an adjusting device(designated in a general way by K) for shifting the stitch-changingdevice into or out of operative relation with the looper.

The framework of the machine, which is shown substantially of the samegeneral con struction as the framework of the machine described in thepatent hereinbefore referred to, comprises a horizontal bed-plate 2,having a throat-plate 3 and a depending looperguide-snpporting bracket Gat the work-supporting end thereof, the hollow upright 4 at the oppositeend of the bed-plate, the horizontal arm 5 above said bed-plate, and thevertical needle-bar-receiving head 6 at the end of the arm 5.

The needle-bar N and the presser-bar P are shown, as in the patentreferred to, axially coincident, the presser-bar being tubular and theneedle-bar being supported for reciprocatory movement in saidpresser-bar, which,

presser-bar is in turn supported for vertical movement in the head 6 andis furnished at the lower end thereof with a presser-foot 40, aresistance-spring being in practice provided for regulating the pressureof the presser-foot upon the fabric.

The fabric-feeding mechanism, the construction and organization of whichmay or may not be substantially the same as that described in the patentreferred to, is shown in the accompanying drawings comprising afeed-lever 51, supported substantially midway ils length for universalmovement and having one end thereof bifurcated, as at 60, to straddle anactuating-cam and also having at the opposite end thereof a feed-dog 50,extending through the throat-plate 3 of the machine, and afeed-lever-actuatiug cam 54,fixed to the intermediate shaft D and havingworking faces acting against the bifurcated end of said feed-lever andconstructed to impart the proper feed movement to the feed-dog inrequisite relation to the movements of the needle mechanism and loopermechanism.

The looper S, which in the preferred form thereof (shown inthe-accompanying drawings) is similar in general conformation to thediscoidal loop-taker described in the patcut referred to, is shownsupported below the throat-plate of the machine for rotative movement ina plane oblique to the path of the needle, (see Fig. 1,) said looperbeing guided in its rotation and held against transverse movement by theparti-circular looper-guide G, which extends around the lower portionand has a raceway for receiving the perime ter of said looper and whichraceway will in practice be of sufficient depth to facilitate a freeunobstructed movement of the loopreceiving devices of the looper,certain of which are shown having their points projecting somewhatbeyond the perimeter proper of said looper,as will be hereinafterdescribed.

To facilitate the formation of lock-stitches, the looper will inpractice usually be furnished with some suitable means such, forinstance, as that illustrated at C, Fig. 5-forcarrying the lower thread,this being shown as a cop or bobbin carrier rotatably mounted on acentrally-disposed spindle constituting a part of the looper proper,said cop or bobbin carrying means being for convenience shownsubstantially of the same general construction and organization as thatdescribed in the patent hereinbefore referred to, and said looper willalso be furnished with some suitable tension device (not shown) forregulating the tension of said lower thread.

In the preferred form thereof (illustrated in the accompanying drawings)the looper or shuttle has one set of what may consistently be termedcombined lock-stitch and chainstitch loop carriers, which are shown asthree in number and are designated by h, h, and h respectively, and eachof which is shown circumferentially disposed and comprises a pair ofloop-receiving devices, shown in one form as two oppositely-disposedpreferably overlapping hooks 8 and 9, separated at their bases by aloop-receiving recess 10. One of these hooks, as 8, owing to itsfunction, may herein be termed the loop-taker, and the other opposinghook 9, owing to its function, may herein be termed the loopdeliverer,although in a generic sense both the loop-taker and loop-deliverer maybe termed singly and without choice the loopreceiving device or hook,for the reason that both hooks S and 9 receive the loop at successivedifferent points in the orbital movement of the carrier.

The looper S is shown having formed in one vside face thereof a seriesof driver-sockets 1? preferably having spherical outer and innerendwalls 14 and 14', concentric to a common center, and having side wallspreferably radial to said common center, as indicated by dotted and fulllines in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively.

As a means for supporting the looper free.

of diametrical support by the looper-guide G and for rotating saidlooper I have provided a combined looper carrier and driver H,comprising a hub 12, fixed to the looper-actuating shaft D and having aseries of radial arms,

each having at the outer end thereof a tooth or driving projection 15,said teeth being complemental to and adapted for entering the sockets 13of the looper and will in practice have spherical outer and inner endfaces operative with the end walls of the loopersockets for supportingsaid looper.

It will be obvious that the means for supporting and rotating the loopermight be modified without departure from this invention.

In the organization of stitch-making mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings the looper S is intended to rotate continuously inone direction, in the direction of the arrow in Figs. 2 and 11 to 16,inclusive, the loop-takers 8 all pointing in the same direction.

As indicated in dotted and full lines in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, ofthe drawings, the looper S is circumferentially grooved, as at- 16, atsuccessive points adjacent to the loopcarriers and at one side of theperimeter to form needle-receiving grooves, said grooves preferablyterminating in the loop-receiving recesses 10 at one end andsubstantially midway between the adjacent loop-receiving recesses at theother end.

The hooks 8 and 9 of the looper have their adjacent ends 8 and 9disposed preferably in overlapping relation, the loop-taking hook 8having the point end thereof immediately adjacent the needle-groove andextending outward somewhat radially beyond the outer face of the hook 9.This constructionto wit, the outward extension of the hook 8permits thelooper to be supported, so that the point of said book will during therotation of the looper describe a path in close proximity to the underside of the throat-plate, while the perimeter proper of the looper willbe located sufficiently below said plate as to not interfere with theloop threads during certain stages in the formation of the stitch. Theadjacent side faces of the two hooks 8 and 9 are inclined in oppositedirections to form a diagonal passage-way 17 between said faces, leadingto the loop-receiving recesses 10, thus permitting'the hook 9 to carry apreceding loop sidewise during the drawing up of said loop out of thepath of the next succeeding loop-taker 8, which latter, being located atone side the path of the loop-deliverer, serves to carry the succeedingloop free of the old loop, and thus avoid chafing, which might otherwiseoccur when a chain-stitch is bewith this class of loopers the downstrokeof the needle may be lessened, thus requiring a drawing out of lessthread in forming a loop, and consequently decreasing the amount ofthread to be taken up.

For the purpose of facilitating the proper drawing out of the succeedingloops and for holding each succeeding loop under tension through apredetermined portion of its traveling movement around th e'looper Ihave provided in operative relation with each loopcarrier aloop-tensioning device, (designated in a general way by T,) which in thepreferred form thereof (shown most clearly in Figs. 6, 9, and 10 of thedrawings) is in the nature of a spring-held or reactionary loop-engagingfinger pivotally supported at its inner end on the looper at a pointbelow the loop-holding portion of the loop taker or hook 8 andprojecting at its outer or working end into the loop-receiving recess10, the outer face of said finger being preferably disposed insubstantial parallelism with the inner face of the loop-taker 8 whensaid finger is in its normal loop-engaging position. Said fingerintersects the path traversed by the bight of the loop 1 along theinclined wall of the loopreceiving recess, as will be understood by acomparison of Figs. 11 to 15 of the drawings.

The loop-tensioning device or reactionary loop-engaging finger T isshown in Figs. 5 and 6, pivotally supported in the recessed inner end ofa plug 21, which is secured in a seat formed in the face of the looper,said plug being held in place by a screw 22, which extends through theplug and inner end of the finger and has a screw-threaded bearing insaid looper, the finger or loop-tensioning device being pivotallysupported on the shank of said screw and being held in its normalloop-engaging position and under requisite tension by a spring 23, whichis shown as a coiled spring fixed at one end in the plug and at theopposite end in the tensioning device, as shown most clearly in Fig. 10.

The loop-tensioning device T will in practice be limited in itsmovements in opposite directions by stop-abutments 24 and 24,which areshown in Fig. 9 as the opposing walls of a transverse recess 25 in theplug through which the outer end of the tensioning device extends.

To provide a seat for the tensioning-device carrier or plug 21, thelooper is bored transversely from one side, which bore communicates withthe loop-receiving recess and cuts away a sufficient portion of theinclined wall of said recess to permit the requisite movement of thetensioning device when the plug and said tensioning device areassembled, as illustrated in the drawings.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the reactionaryloop-tensioning device will be so disposed with relation to theloopholding portion of the loop-taker or hook 8 as to receive thereonthe bight of the loop 1 immediately after the said loop has arrived at aposition where it has fully drawn or closed up a preceding stitch orloop or after the hook carrying said loop has arrived at that positionin its traveling movement where'the loop is released from the base orloop-holding portion of the hook, rides down the inclined wall of theloop-receiving recess ll), and has been in such position temporarilyrestrained from passing beyond a predetermined position or angle toinsure the proper closing up of the stitch with the required degree oftension.

By providing a loop-tensioning device in cooperative relation with theloop-taker or hook 8 of the looper, the free end of which tension deviceis disposed between the loop-- taker and the axis of the looper orbetween the inner face of said loop-taker and the inner wall or baseportion of the loop-receiving recess, the loop-taker or hook 8 willserve to engage the loop of the needle-thread and carry the same aroundthe looper to a predetermined definite position, when the bight of theloop will be released from the loopholding portion of said hook and willtravel along the inclined wall of the loop-receiving recess 10 until itcontacts with said loop-tensioning device, whereupon such device actsfirst to restrain for a predetermined time the further passage of theloop in the manner hereinafter describ d, after which the loop is.

engaged or received by the loop-tensioning device, the engagement of theloop by said device taking place shortly after the hook carrying saidloop has arrived substantially at the position illustrated in Fig. 11 ofthe drawings, after which the loop-tensioning device will serve to holdthe opposite portions of the loop taut and under predetermined tension,taking up the slack therein, until said hook, loop, and tensioningdevice arrive at the positions illustrated in Fig. 14, when the bight ofthe loop will release itself from the loop-tensioning device and willengage the inclined wall of the loop-delivereror hook 9. The bight ofthe loop during the orbital movement of the hook 8 from the positionshown in Fig. 11 to the successive positions thereof shown in Figs. 12,13, and 14 travels gradually along the outer face of the looptensioningdevice from the inner to the extreme outer end thereof until it isreleased from said tensioning device, which allows said device to returnto its normal position, as shown in Fig. 14.

For the purpose of preventing a premature release of the bight oftheloop from the outer end of the loop-tensioning device saidloopertensioning device has preferably at the extreme outer end thereofa loop-retaining projection 25, said projection being shown somewhathook-shaped.

One of the essential objects of the detentarm '1 is to retain the bightof the loop close to the outer end of the inclined surface 20, aroundwhich the thread of the loop is passed in carrying the loop over theshuttle. The object of so retaining the bight of the loop in said outerposition is to preserve the uniform operation of the stitch-formingmechanism and to secure a very close approximation to a uniform drawingup of the stitch, notwithstanding the goods may vary and so make thestitches contain different lengths of thread.

The operation of the drawing-up device, this being considered as comprising the surface 20 and the detent-arm 'l, is similar to theoperation of controlling the movement of a weight by a rope carriedaround a cleat commonly used on shipboard. In the present case thecleat-surface is represented by the portion 20 of the looper and thedetent-arm T forces the loop outwardly on the surface of the cleatalways to the same position with each succeeding stitch. By this meansthe particular mode of action at that part of the stitch-formingoperation is made uniform and effective. As the looper revolves from theposition shown in Fig. 11 toward the position shown in Fig. 12 theinclination of the loop of thread relatively to the direction of thesurface 20 continually changes until the loopbight passes a certainposition or angle, at which time the lower end of the loop unlessrestrained would slide along the surface 20 toward the bottom point ofthe recess. This sliding of the loop is restrained by the arm or fingerT, and for this particular purpose becomes a restraining device andcooperates with said looper-su rface 20 for regulating the force withwhich the loop is drawn up and so controlling the closing of the stitchwhich has been formed. By means of t-hisimprovement the prematuremovement of the lower end of the loop along the surface 20 is preventedand by properly regulating the resistance of said finger T, which may bedone by selecting a suitably-constructed spring for actuating the same,the loop may be drawn up with any required degree of tension. After theloop is further rotated in the direction indicated the loop finallyleaves the surface 20 and is received by the arm T, which then becomes atension device for controlling the slack of the loop and so preventingthe loop from becoming entangled and also for maintaining the stitch inthe required taut position during that part of the stitch -formingoperation. From the foregoing it will be seen that at first said deviceT operates to merely lock the loop in the proper position on the rigiddraft-surface 20 of the looper. Next it coacts with such inclineddraft-surface to regulate the tension of the loop during the finalclosing of the stitch, and later it acts as a tension device for takingup the slack of the loop after the stitch has been completed, so thatsuch device thus acts as a loop-tensioning device at different periodsduring the formation of the stitches.

For the purpose of rendering the looper equally effective in theformation of a lockstitch and a chain-stitch without the necessity ofproviding and utilizing different specially-constructed sets of booksfor different stitches one loop-receiving device or book, as 9, of eachloop-carrier is constructed and supported to have a movement toward andaway from the adjacent loop-receiving device or book 8, said hook 9being spring-held or reactionary and being limited in its movement IIOboth toward and away from the adjacent hook bysome suitable meanshereinafter described. The loop-deliverer or hook 9 is shown in Figs. 6and 7 as a substantially flat plate having the outer face thereofconcentric to the axis of the looper, said plate or hook being pivotallysupported at its inner end, as at 26, in a recess formed in the looperat one side the needle-groove, the thickness of the plate at the innerpivoted end thereof being preferably sufficient to secure a properhearing between the opposing walls of the space in which the plate islocated. The main outer portion of the plate is shown of a thicknesscoinciding substantially to the thickness of the peripheral flange ofthe looper, although the front or loop-delivering end of the hook isbeveled or inclined on the face adjacent to the hook 8, as hereinbeforedescribed.

As a means for holding the loop deliverer or hook 9 normally in theposition shown in Fig. 6 I have provided a spring 27, which has abearing at one end against the hook and at its opposite end against thewall of the recess in which said hook is located, said spring being sodisposed as to normally force the loopreceiving device or hook forwardtoward and in overlapping relation with the loop taker or hook 8, and asmeans for limiting the ad vaneing and retracting movement of this hook 9I' have provided a movement-limiting device which is shown as a stop-pin28, extending through a portion of the looper and into adiametrically-enlarged recess formed in one face of the hook, asillustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the opposing wall portions of the recessconstituting stop-abntments for determining the range of movement inopposite directions of said hook.

By providing stitch making mechanism with a rotary looper having aseries of loopcarriers, each embodying a movable reactionaryloop-receiving device or hook, the distance between theloop-hol'dingportions of the hooks of adjacent carriers will be varied by the stressof the thread during the drawing up of a succeeding loop and inaccordance with necessary requirements, thus rendering the looperpractically operative in the formation of different kinds of stitches inwhich different amounts of thread are utilized from-preceding loops inmaking the stitches.

In practice the adjacent loop-holding portions of the looper will be sodisposed with relation to each other as to render the looper normallyoperative for forming alock-stitch, the distance between these portionsof the hooks being normally greater than is actually required for thedrawing-thread to reach from a preceding hook through the fabric and tothe next succeeding hook, and the range of movement of the movable hookwill in practice be such as to allow a retractive movement of said hooksufficient to facilitate the formation of a stitch in which there willbe less thread to reach from the loop-holding portion of one hookthrough the fabric to the loop-holding portion of a next succeedinghook, as in the formation of a chain-stitch or a chain lock-stitch,agreater amount of thread being utilized from the preceding loop informing a chain-stitch than from a preceding loop in forming alock-stitch.

In the form shown in Fig. 8 the tensioning device comprises aspring-finger T, while the hook 9 is shown rigid, its work in connectionwith the thread-loop being performed by a supplemental device,shownherein as a springfinger 9', the coils of said springfingers beinglocated in recesses of the'looper, one at each side of thelooper-space10.

As a simple and convenient means for changing the form of stitchresulting from the normal operation of the looper and needle mechanism(which mechanism will be normally operative for making a lock-stitch)without effecting a change in the direction of movement of the looper,the feed mechanism,

orin the mode of operation of the several elements of the stitch-makingmechanism I have provided a stitch-changing device,which is described byW, and which is shiftable into a position for coo perating with theloop-takers and is adapted for engaging the upper portions of successiveloops and for deflecting said portions laterally of the path of theneedle, so that succeeding loops may pass through preceding loops andcause the stitchmaking mechanism to produceachain-stitch.

The stitch-changing device is shown in the accompanying drawings ofsubstantially the same general construction and organization as thestitch-changing device described and claimed in my concurrently-pendingapplication, Serial No. 647,055, filed August 4, 1897; but it is desiredto state in this connection that my present invention is not limited tothe employment of a stitch-changing device nor to the particularconstruction and organization of stitch-changing device illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, as in some cases the stitch-changing devicesmaybe dispensed with or a modified form thereof employed within thepurview of this invention.

The stitch-chan ging device in the preferred construction andorganization (shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2) comprises aloopdiverter 30, herein shown as a lever fulcru med intermediate itsends at 31 below the bedplate of the machine for horizontal oscillationacross the path of the loops, an actuating-lever 32, pivotally securedat 32 at one side the intermediate shaft D to one end of a shiftablecarrier or throw-out device 33, (shown in full and dotted lines in Fig.1,) a connectingrod 34, pivotally secured at its inner end to one end ofthe actuating-lever and at its outer end to the rear end of theloop-diverter, a cam 35, fixed to the intermediate shaftiu position tooperate the actuating-lever 32, and a retracting-spring 35 for normallyholding the actuating-lever in bearing engagement with the actuating-cam35.

To secure the best results in the operation IIO of the stitch-changingdevice in forming a chain-stitch, it is desirable that the loopdi'-verter 30 be advanced to engage and deflect the upper portion of theloop immediately after said loop has been carried substantially to theposition shown in Fig. 11 and shall be retracted and released from saidportion of the loop just before said loop arrives at its retighteningposition, or, in other words, the deflection of the upper portion of theloop should take place when sufficient slack thread exists in the loopproper to permit the deflection of such upper portion of the loopwithout the necessity of drawing off more thread from above theneedle-point, and to accomplish this the cam 35 will have a quick-actingportion (not shown) so disposed and timed with reference to the movementof the looper that it will advance the stitch-changing device to itsloop-diverting position immediately after the loop has substantiallyarrived at the position shown in Fig. 11 and will efiecta retraction ofsaid device to an ineffective position immediately preceding the arrivalof the loop at its retightening posit-ion.

The shiftable carrier or throw-out device 33 is shown provided at theupper end thereof with a thumb-piece 39, whereby the carrier may beturned to shift the stitch-changing device into an inoperative positionorinto a position where it will have no action upon successive loops asthey are formed and carried around the looper-as, forinstance, when itis desired to form a lock-stitch.

In the operation of stitching the looper is preferably rotatedconstantly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawings, andthe hook S will first engage the loop and carry the same around saidlooper until said loop has reached a predetermined position, when thebight of the loop will slide down the inclined wall and engage theloop-tensioning device, as shown in Fig. 11, which at this timerestrains the passage of said loop beyond a predetermined position orangle and coacts with that part of the recess-wall in front of.

said device to permit such wall to draw up the stitches with a uniformtension, after which such device receives the loop and acts to hold thesame under tension until the looper arrives at the position shown inFig. 14, where it is released from the loop-tensioning device andengages the inner wall of the loop-deliveringhook 9, which still retainssaid loop under tension during the drawing up thereof and until saidloop is released from the end of this hook, after which it will be drawnup tightly against the fabric by the advancing movement of the nextsucceeding loop, as will be readily understood bya comparison of Figs.11 to 16 of the drawings.

- In stitch-making mechanisms embodying rotary loopers no means havebeen, to my knowledge, heretofore provided for engaging the loop of theneedle-thread and for holding the same under tension throughout aportion of the stitch-forming operation, and more particularlythroughout that portion of the stitchmaking operation where thepreceding loop is being drawn up by a succeeding loop, and inconsequence much difficulty has been experienced by the twisting orkinking of the bight end of the loop as the same is being drawn up inproximity to the under side of the fabric, which kinking precludes thepossibility of drawing the bight of the loop tightly against the underside of the fabric owing to the knotty condition of that portion of thethread being drawn through the fabric, which naturally obstructs thefull drawing up of the bight end of said loop, leaving nsuallya knot ortwisted portion of the loop projecting below the fabric, which if notlong enough to be caught and broken by the succeeding looptakers of thelooper or entangled in and broken by succeeding loops is sufficient toproduce an imperfect and undesirable stitch.

It has been demonstrated by practical experiments that the objectionablekinking or twisting of the opposite portions of the bight end of theloop is in the greatest measure due to the slack condition of said loopduring that period of its travel around the looper where it is beingdrawn up by the next succeeding loop, for the reason that the strands ofthe loop, owing to their slack condition, exert no resistance tocounteract the natural twisting action exerted. upon the running threadof the loop as the same is being drawn through the fabric, the frictionbetween these strands and fabric tending to rub out the twist of saidstrands at a point contiguous to the fabric and force the coils thereofbackward toward the bight end of the loop, consequently consolidating orshortening the spirals of the twist, which results in an augmentedwinding of said fibers and causes the two opposite por ions of the bightend of the loop to twist around each other immediately upon the releaseof the bight from the loop-delivering book. This detrimental twistingand kinking of the bight end of the loop is positively prevented by theimproved means herein described, which holds the loop under tensionduring the drawing up thereof.

In conclusion it will be seen that in the present construction of looperit is provided with a set of loop-carriers, each of which carrierscomprises a pair of loop-receiving devices, since they'ea-ch receive theloop, one from the needle and the other from its companion receivingdevice,and one of which loopreceiving devices is more particularlydesignated herein as a loop-taker, since it directly takes a loop fromthe needle, and the other is a loop-deliverer, since it receives a loopfrom said loop-taker and delivers it free of the looper, and whichloop-taker and loopdeliverer in one form, which may be the preferredform thereof,ifdesired, comprise hooks oppositely disposed relatively toeach other. It will also be seen that in the present improvement one ofthe loop-receiving devices for instance, the loop-delivererand also theIIO Ills

loop-tensioning device, which receives at one predetermined period thethread from the loop-taker, are thread controlled or actuated. In otherwords, the operation of these devices depends upon the thread-loop,which is in turn controlled by such devices, since each device ismaintained in its normal position by a spring, its movement from suchposition being due to the action of the thread. Such spring merely actsto return and maintain the device in position to be acted on by thethread.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A sewing-machine looper orshuttle having a loop-receiving device having its connection with thelooper intermediate the axis and the periphery thereof and provided witha peripherally-located working part, and movable independently of themain body portion of said looper to compensate for differences in theamount of thread utilized in the formation of different kinds ofstitches, whereby it is effective in the formation ofa chain or a lockstitch.

2. A sewing-machine looper or shuttle having two loop-receiving devicesone of which is movable relatively to the other and having itsconnection with the looperintermediate the axis and the peripherythereof and provided with a peripherally-located working part, andeffective to compensate for differences in the amount of thread utilizedin the formation of different kinds of stitches, whereby it is effectivein the formation of a chain or look stitch.

3. A sewingmachine looper or shuttle having a pair ofoppositely-disposed loop-receiving devices one supported for movementindependently of the other, and a loop-tensioning device cooperatingwith said loop-receiving devices.

I 4. A sewing-machine looper or shuttle having one or moreyieldingly-supported, reactionaryloop-receiving devices having connection with the looper intermediate the axis and the periphery thereofand provided with a pcripherally-located working part, and effective tocompensate for differences in the amount of thread utilized in theformation of diiferent kinds of stitches, whereby it is effective in theformation of a chain or a lock stitch.

5. A sewing-machine looper comprising a body having a loop-receivingspace and a loopreceiving device shiftable independently of the body ofsaid looper, and located to form one wall of said space, and to have itsouter surface constitute at said space a continuation of the perimeterof said body and effective to compensate for differences in the amountof thread utilized in the formation of different kinds of stitches,whereby it is effective in the formation of a chain or a lock stitch.

6. A sewing-machine looper or shuttle having a loop-taker and aloop-deliverer, the free ends of which project toward each other, andwhich loop-deliverer is movable relatively to the loop-taker tocompensate for differences in the amount of thread utilized in theformation of different kinds of stitches, whereby it is effective in theformation of a chain or a lock stitch.

7. A rotary looper having a loop-taker and a loop-deliverer with aloop-receiving space intermediate thereto and one of which is movabletoward and away from the other while movable at a uniform speed with alooper throughout the rotary movement thereof, to compensate fordifferences in the amount of thread utilized in the formation ofdifferent kinds of stitches, whereby it is effective in the formation ofa chain or look stitch.

S. A sewing-machine looper having a shiftably-supported,thread-controlled, reactionary loop-receiving device having itsconnection with the looper intermediate the axis.

and the periphery thereof and located adjacent to such periphery andmovable independently of the main body portion of said looper, andeffective to compensate for diderences in the amount of thread utilizedin the formation of different kinds of stitches,whereby it is effectivein the formation of a chain or a lock stitch; and means located adjacentto the inner end of the loop-receiving device for limiting the movementof said device.

9. A sewing-machine looper havinga shiftable, thread-controlled,loop-receiving device having its connection with the looper intermediatethe axis and the periphery thereof and located adjacent to suchperiphery, and effective to compensate for differences in the amount ofthread utilized in the formation of ,diiferent kinds of stitches,whereby it is periphery thereof and located adjacent to such periphery,and effective to compensate for differences in the amount of threadutilized in the formation of different kinds of stitches, whereby it iseffective in the formation of a chain or a lock stitch; a springtherefor; and a stop disposed adjacent to the inner end of theloop-receiving device for limiting the movement of said device.

11. A rotary looper having a plurality of loop-receiving devices, eachhaving connection with the looper intermediate the axis and theperiphery thereof and provided with a peripherally-located working partand each movable in the plane of rotation of the looper andindependently of the body thereof to compensate for differences in theamount of thread utilized in the formation of different kinds ofstitches, whereby each is effective in the formation of a chain or alock stitch.

12. A sewing-machine looper having one or more peripheral loop-receivingopenings one wall of each openingof which terminates in a loop-taker,combined with a thread-coutrolled loop-tensioning device disposedbetween the loop-taker and the inner wall of the recess and adapted toreceive the loop from the loop-taker ata predetermined point in themovement of said loop-taker for holding the same under tensionthroughout a preiletermined portion of the movement of said 13. Adiscoidal sewing-machine looper having three equidistantly-locatedloop-receiving devices, each one having its connection with the looperin advance of the connection therewith of its preceding companiondevice, and each movable independently of the body of said looper andeffective to compensate for differences in the amount of thread utilizedin the formation of difierent kinds of stitches, whereby they areefiective in the formation of a chain or a lock stitch.

14. A rotatablesewing machine looper adapted to take a loop, and atension device connected with the looper for rotary movement therewithand for movement independently thereof during such rotary movement andin position to receive the loop of a needle-thread adjacent to the inneror connected end of said tension device with such looper during thepassage-of said loop around the looper and hold said loop under tensionduring its passage toward the free end of such device.

l5. Asewing-machinelooper havinga looptaker and a thread-controlledloop-tensioning device carried on the looper with its working endlocatedunder the loop-taking portion of said loop-taker and having itsconnection with said looper intermediate the axis and the peripherythereof, and in position to engage the loop of the needle-thread duringa portion of the operation of forming a stitch, the stress of the threaddetermining the movement of said tensioning device.

16. As a part of a stitch-making mechanism of a sewing machine, thecombination with a looper having a loop-taking hook with a loop-spacelocated at said hook, of a threadcontrolled tension device locatedintermediate the side faces of said looper and having its loop engagingend extending into said loop-space in position to engage a loop during aportion of the operation of drawing out the loop, the stress of thethread determining the movement of said tension device.

17. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-taker and a loop-space located at said loop-taker, of a spring-heldthread-controlled tension device located in said loop-space for engagingthe loop after the loop passes back from the looptaker and before it isdrawn out to its greatest length, thereby to regulate the tension of theloop during the closing up of the stitch.

18. A rotary sewing-machine looper having a plurality ofcircumferentially-disposed loopcarriers each of which embodies twooppositely-disposed hooks one of which is automatically movable towardand away from the other whereby the distance between the loopholdingportion of said hooks may be varied to compensate for the diiference inthe lengths of thread reaching from adjacent loop-carriers informingditferent kinds of stitches.

19. As a part of a stitch-making mechanism of a sewing-machine, a rotarylooper having a plurality of substantially equidistant circumferentially disposed loop carriers each of which embodies twooppositely-disposed hooks and a loop-space between said hooks, and oneof which hooks is yieldable in the direction of rotation of the looperand is adapted for movement toward and away from the adjacent hookwhereby to take up slack and compensate for different lengths in theloop, and a yieldable loop-tensioning device supported in operativerelation with one of said hooks and effective at a predetermined pointin the orbit of said hook for engaging the loop and for holding the sameunder tension during a p redetermined definite portion of thestitch-making operation.

20. A rotary sewing-machine looper having a plurality of loop-carriers,each carrier including two oppositely-disposed loop-receiving devicescomprising hooks one supported for movement toward and from the otherand having their adjacent ends in overlapping relation.

21. A rotary sewing-machine looper having a plurality of loop-carrierseach carrier including .two oppositely-disposed loop-receivingdevicescomprising hooks having their adjacent ends in overlapping relation, andone of said hooks having its point extending outward radially beyond theperiphery of the looper and beyond the outer face of the adjacent hook.

22. As a part of a stitch-making mechanism of a sewing-machine, adiscoidal looper having a series of pairs of oppositely-disposed books,with a loop-receiving space intermediate said hooks, and ayieldingly-supported reactionary loop-tensioning device supported incooperative relation with each pair of hooks and so disposed as toengage the loop of the needle throughout a predetermined point in themovement of said loop, and for holding the same under tension throughouta predetermined portion of the stitch-making operation, and means forrotating said looper.

23. As a part of a stitch-making mechanism of a sewing-machine, a rotarylooper embodying two oppositely-disposed loop-receiving devices or hooksone of which is rigid and the other of which is pivotally supported; aspring in connection with the pivotally-supported hook for normallyholding the same in a predetermined position relatively to the otherhook and permit the same to yield under the pulling stress of the loopcarried by said hook; a stop device for limiting the advancin g andretractive movements of the pivotally-supported hook; and aspring-actuated loop-tensioning device disposed in cooperative relationwith the fixed hook and adapted for receiving the loop from said fixedhook at a predetermined point in the rotative movement of the looper,for holding the same under tension throughout a portion of the continuedrotative movement of the looper, and for delivering said loop to thepivotally-supported hook at another predetermined point in the rotationof the looper.

24. In a stitch making mechanism, the combination, with a rotativelooper having a eircumferentially-disposed loop-taker adapted forcarrying the loop to a predetermined position, of twosuccessively-effective yielding devices disposed to engage the loop atsuccessively-advanced positions, and for holding the same under tensionthroughout successive portions of the stitch-making operation.

25. Asewing-machinelooperorshuttlehaving a plurality of loop-receivingdevices each of which is movable independently of the main body portionof said looper.

26. V A sewing-machine shuttle orlooper having a pair ofoppositely-disposed loop-receiving devices one movable towardand fromthe other.

27. Asewing-machineshuttleorlooperhaving a pair of oppositely-disposedloop-receiving devices one movable toward and from the other, the endsof said devices overlapping.

28. A sewing-machine looper having one or more peripheral loop-receivingopenings located intermediate the axis and the periphery of said looper,and a loop-tensioning device having its connection with said looperbetween said axis and the periphery of said looper and intersecting thewall of said openin g.

29. A looper having one or more loop-receiving spaces with the sideWalls constructed to receive a loop, one of said side walls supportedfor movement toward and from the other.

30. Arotatable sewing-machinelooperhaving a shift-ablethread-controlledloop-tensioning device rotatable with said looper during the entiremovement thereof, the free end of said tension device being relativelyremote from the periphery of said looper; and means formed independentof said device for returning said tension device to its normal position,the stress of the thread determining the movement of said device fromsuch normal position.

31. Asewing-machine looper having one or more peripheral loop-receivingopenings forming a loop-taker and a loop-tensioning device having itsWorking end normally projecting in the same direction as saidloop-taker.

32. A rotary looper having a loop-taker and a cooperative threadcontrolled tensioning device rotatable with said looper during theentire movement thereof, and having a pivotal connection with saidlooper intermediate the axis and the periphery thereof for movement onsuch pivot independently of its rotary movement with said looper andintersecting one of the walls of said loop-taker, so that during therotation of the looper from its loop-taking position to a position whereit has fully drawn up a preceding stitch or loop the loop taker will beefiective for carrying and drawing out the loop, and during a furtherportion of the rotative movement of said I looper the loop-tensioningdevice will be effective to engage and hold the loop under predeterminedtension, the stress of the thread determining the movement of saidtensioning device.

33. A sewing-machine looper having one or more loop receivers shiftableindependently of the body of the looper and one or more shiftableloop-tensioning devices independent of and 006 perating with said loopreceiver or receivers.

34. Asewing-machinelooper having a plurality of shiftablethread-controlled loop-tensioning devices located one in advance ofanother, the stress of the thread determining the movement of each ofsaid devices.

35. A sewing-machine looper having one or more loop-receiving devicesmovable independently of the body of said looper, and one or moreloop-tensioning devices correspondingin number with said loop-receivingdevices; and means for moving each of said devices in one direction.

36. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-taker and a loopreceiving recess located at said looptaker, of adevice located in said loop-receiving recess contiguous to the wallthereof for engaging the loop after such loop passes back from theloop-taker to restrain it during a certain period from passing beyond acertain position or angle on such loop-taker wall thereby to regulatethe tension of the loop during the closing up of a stitch.

37. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-receiving recess forming a loop-taking hook, of a device projectinginto said recess intermediate said hook and the inner wall thereof andeffective to restrain during a certain period the loop from passingbeyond a certain position or angle on the loop-taker Wall, and coactingwith the Wall of said recess to regulate the tension of the loop duringthe closing up of the stitch.

38. In asewin -machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-taker and a loop-receiving recess located at said looptaker, of aspring-actuated device projecting into said recess and effective torestrain during a certain period the loop from passing beyond apredetermined position or angle, and coacting' with a Wall of saidrecess to regulate the tension of the loop during the closing up of thestitch.

39. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-receiving recess provided with a Wall forming a draft- IIC surfaceand terminating in a peripherallylocated loop-taker, of means coactingwith the wall of said recess to restrain during the drawing up of apreceding loop the passage of the succeeding loop down such wall andpermit said draft-surface to close up the successive stitches uniformly.

40. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-receiving recess provided with an inclined wall terminating in aloop-taker, of a movable device intersecting said wall and effective torestrain during the drawing up of a preceding loop the passage of thesucceeding loop down said wall, and coacting with such wall to close upthe stitch.

41. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-taker and a loop-receiving recess located at said looptaker, of adevice located in said loop-receiving recess for engaging the loop aftersuch loop passes back from the loop-taker to restrain it during acertain period from passing beyond a certain position, thereby toregulate the tension of the loop during the closing up of the stitch,and organized and efiective after the closing up of the stitch toregulate the tension of the loop and take up the slack thereof.

42. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-receiving recess provided with an inclined wall terminating in alooptaker, of a movable device intersecting said wall and effective torestrain during a certain period the passage of the loop down said Wall,and coacting with such wall to close up the stitch, and shiftable afterthe closing of the stitch to regulate the tension of the loop and takeup the slack thereof.

43. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with a rotary looper having aloop-receiving recess provided with an inclined wall terminating in aperipherally-located loop-taking hook, of a spring-actuated fingerprojecting into said recess intermediate said hook and the inner portionof said wall, and in its normal position effective to restrain duringacertain period the loop from passing beyond a predetermined position onsaid wall thereby to enable the wall to act as a draft-surface for theeffective closing up of a stitch, said finger being actuated by thethread, after the closing up of a stitch, toward the Wall of said recessto enable the passing of the loop therefrom.

44. A looper having a loop-taker, a loop-receiving recess located atsaid loop-taker, and a device intersecting'the wall of said recess andeffective to restrain the loop from passing during the drawing up of apreceding loop beyond a predetermined position on said Wall and coactingwith such wall to regulate the tension of the loop during the finalclosing up of a stitch.

45. A looper having a loop-taker, a loop-receiving recess located atsaid loop-taker, and a movable device intersecting the wall of saidrecess and effective first to restrain the loop from passing during acertain period beyond a predetermined position on said wall, theneffective to coact with said wall to enable the same to act as adraft-surface to regulate the tension of the loop during the closing ofa stitch, and then effective to act as a tension device for taking upthe slack of the loop after the complete closing up of the stitch.

46. A looper having a loop-receiving device movable independently of thebody of the looper to compensate for differences in the amount of threadused in the formation of different kinds of stitches, a loop-receivingrecess located adjacent thereto, and a device effective to limit duringa certain period the passage of a loop on the wall of said recess andthereby enable said wall to act as a draftsurface and close up a stitchwith the required amount of tension.

47. Alooper havingaloop-receiving device movable independently of thebody of the looper, a loop-receiving recess located adjacent thereto,and a movable device effective to limit during a certain period thepassage of a loop 011 thewall of said recess and thereby enable suchwall to close up a stitch with the required amount of tension.

HUBERT P. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. HOFFMAN,

HENRY BISSELL.

